The National Merit Scholarship Corp. has announced names of 268 Orange County students who are candidates for its annual scholarship awards.

Semifinalists, announced Wednesday, have the chance to compete for finalist status and for three types of college scholarships through the Evanston, Ill.-based scholarship company. Fewer than 1 percent of high-school seniors qualify for the scholarships. Awards include a $2,500 scholarship, a corporate-sponsored scholarship or college-sponsored scholarship.

In California, high-school juniors must score at least 223 out of 240 on their Preliminary SAT exams to become semifinalists.

Statewide, 2,028 students were named semifinalists this year. Nationwide, about 1.5 million high school juniors took the Preliminary SAT exam, with 16,000 of those becoming semifinalists for scholarships. Ninety percent of the semifinalists are expected to become finalists in February, and about half will be awarded National Merit Scholarships worth a total $35 million when the final announcements are made in April through July.

Troy High School in Fullerton had 48 semifinalists, the highest number this year from any high school in Orange County. University High School in Irvine was a close second, with 45 semifinalists. Of the 268 Orange County semifinalists, 12 attend private schools, and one is homeschooled.

Irvine city boasts 104 semifinalists, the most in a single city, followed by Fullerton with 57.

Most of the semifinalists are undecided as to their college major, though pre-medicine and pre-medical studies and biological and biomedical studies ranked high, with 23 students selecting each major.

Last year, 254 Orange County students received the semifinalist designation and 92 Orange County students ultimately were awarded the scholarships.

Finalists and winners are chosen based on their scores on the PSAT and SAT exams, academic records, leadership and community contributions, a student essay and recommendation from a school official, the National Merit Scholarship Corp. states.

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